Confession
by jippy
Summary: Christmas Eve 2002. What transpired when Sora approached Yamato backstage with a gift to confess her feelings? [A Sorato one-shot.]


**Author's Note:** I've never written my own version of how this _02_ episode 38 scene would've played out. And as I'm on a Sorato one-shot kick I decided I finally wanted to write one!

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**Confession**

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"Hi Yamato."

Yamato looked surprised as Sora entered his small dressing room. "Oh, hi Sora," he greeted her. His eyebrows then furrowed as he wondered why she was backstage. "Is something wrong? Are the seats I got you guys bad or something?"

"No, not at all," Sora responded automatically. She seemed a little nervous to Yamato. "I, um, just wanted to wish you good luck for your performance."

"Oh. Well, thanks, Sora," Yamato replied politely. "I appreciate it." He noticed the gift-wrapped present in her hands, but as there was nothing to indicate that it was for him, he simply chose not to acknowledge it.

Sora's eyes went to Yamato's dressing table, where – she quickly counted – _seven_ gifts were piled up high on top of each other. "Jun really likes you," she commented. Daisuke's 17-year-old sister had run past her, Piyomon and Gabumon and arrived at Yamato's dressing room first. The three of them had waited outside for only a few minutes while Yamato presumably thanked Jun for the gifts, before ushering her out. Sora had then entered the room alone.

Yamato glanced at his gifts, then looked back over at Sora, subconsciously reaching a hand up to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah. She's . . . persistent. Nice, of course, but . . . really persistent." He gave an uneasy chuckle.

Sora knew he was joking, but she wasn't sure if she should laugh – especially seeing as she was pretty much in the same boat as Jun. She settled for an unsure smile. "Well, I don't want to take up too much of your time – you do have a performance to do," she told him. Outstretching the gift in her hands towards Yamato, she offered it to him. "This is for you . . . it's a cake." She was blushing lightly.

Yamato was a little surprised, but accepted her gift graciously. "Oh, wow, thanks Sora," he told her, genuinely touched by her generosity. It only made him look upon her even more highly. But he did feel a little uncomfortable that he didn't have anything for her in return. "I didn't get you anything, though . . ."

"That's OK," Sora told him, waving her hand in a little 'no worries' gesture. She gave a short chuckle, though it seemed to be to offset her own embarrassment more than anything.

An awkward silence then filled the air between them.

Yamato cleared his throat. "So you bought everyone a cake? That's really nice of you, Sora." He gave her a crooked grin. "I bet Taichi has already finished his, huh?"

Sora laughed uneasily at his joke, diverting her eyes from his and onto the ground instead. This was it. She took a deep breath. "No . . . just you, Yamato." She looked back up shyly, catching Yamato's eyebrows rising in surprise. Her hands fidgeted subconsciously with her coat as she forced herself to voice the words she'd rehearsed in her bedroom just hours before. "And . . . I didn't buy it." She somehow managed to blush harder. "I actually – I baked it myself. Though with help from my mum – she taught me."

Yamato hoped Sora couldn't hear his heartbeat increasing and growing louder by the second. He'd been astounded enough when other girls – like Jun, for instance – would go through the trouble of baking him cakes and chocolate and various other treats. But it was another thing entirely for the girl to be _Sora Takenouchi_.

Sora had baked a cake for him. Sora had baked a cake for him and _only_ him. That had to mean that – well, that Sora _liked_ him.

Yamato really felt as though he could literally hear his heart pounding in his ears. _No, you're jumping to conclusions, Ishida. _Sora Takenouchi _likes _you_? In your dreams._

"I . . . I like you, Yamato."

Yamato stared at Sora in disbelief. Did those words just come out of her mouth? It sounded an awful lot like her – and her cheeks were stained red. Yamato had to swallow, because this was starting to feel surreal to him and he didn't know how to respond. "R–really?" he found himself asking, as though to make absolute sure that she had said it – _and had actually meant it_.

Sora nodded nervously as she looked over Yamato's face for any hint as to what he was thinking. But all she saw was shock. She was starting to feel even more embarrassed and . . . _stupid_, now. Of course _Yamato Ishida_ wouldn't like her back. What had she been thinking?

As Yamato stood there, at a total loss for words, his brain somehow managed to register that Sora was starting to look downcast – and he could see what looked like doubt flash in her eyes. Wait. Did she think he didn't _return_ her feelings?

"I like you, too, Sora!" Yamato found himself blurting out, really wanting her to know this fact. It was Sora's turn to raise her eyebrows in surprise; though she was probably more shocked at how forceful Yamato had voiced that than anything. Or maybe not. "A – a lot, actually," Yamato added, at his normal volume this time. He was pretty sure the tips of his ears had turned red.

And just like that a shy, hopeful smile spread across Sora's face. "Really?" she echoed his previous question, almost chuckling in embarrassment at that fact.

"Yeah," Yamato nodded at her, blushing hard himself.

Another silence enveloped the two as they mirrored one another's relieved, happy smiles. But this time the atmosphere was less awkward, and seemed to tingle with new anticipation of what was to come. Yamato was sure he and Sora were both feeling giddy – and, for both of them, that was certainly an unusual emotion.

Then Yamato seemed to remember that he had a concert to perform – he'd actually forgotten for a moment there. The girl he had a crush on had just told him she liked him, and so his mind had drifted onto better things. But he really _did_ have a concert to perform. "Sorry Sora, but I, uh, really have to get ready now," Yamato began, his tone apologetic. He looked back down at the gift – _Sora's gift_ – in his hands, and carefully placed it down on the table next to Jun's. Looking back at Sora, he gave her a warm smile. "But we should definitely talk . . . after the concert?"

Sora nodded, smiling. "That sounds good." She felt so relieved that she'd actually managed to tell Yamato her feelings – and that he had, _incredibly_, returned them. She had spent a great deal of time overanalysing in her head how many different ways this conversation could have gone – and now, in reality, it had turned out better than she had hoped.

Yamato grinned. "OK. I'll talk to you then." And in a move that was somewhat out of his comfort zone, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Sora's smaller frame in a quick hug. Both of them remained blushing when they pulled away. "Thanks again for the cake and . . . for telling me, Sora, really," Yamato told her sincerely, a shy smile plastered on his face.

Sora smiled back at him, still feeling the warmth and electricity of his hug. She could definitely get used to that contact. "Break a leg on stage, Yamato," she wished him luck, before lifting her hand in a small wave. "I'll be waiting for you after the concert." She gave him one last smile, before turning and leaving him alone in the small room.

Yamato watched her go with an almost dazed, silly smile. He was just so ridiculously _happy_ in this moment – and he didn't care one bit if he looked like a childish love-struck teenager. For over a year now he had thought and worried and _obsessed_ about telling Sora his feelings.

And just like that all his anxieties over telling Sora he liked her had completely vanished because Sora herself had stepped forward and told him _she_ liked _him_.

If Yamato were to be completely honest, he'd probably have ended up telling Sora he 'used to like her' years later, after his feelings for her had subsided – and this was assuming that his feelings _would_ have ever subsided. Because, honestly, he felt as though he liked her far too much for that to ever be the case. So, really, he probably never would've gotten up the nerve to confess to her.

Yamato was _so_ glad Sora had made the first move.

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**End**

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It's Japanese consensus that Sora's gift to Yamato was a cake and not cookies like the English dub said. In Japan, there are two types of chocolate that girls give to boys: giri choco and honmei choco. Giri choco is cheap 'obligation chocolate' that girls give to male friends out of obligation. Honmei choco is expensive homemade chocolate (though it can also be store-bought) that girls give to guys they like romantically. But it's a bit tricky for guys to ascertain whether a girl's gift to them is giri chocolate or honmei chocolate. And here, initially, Yamato thought Sora's gift was giri chocolate – before realising it's honmei chocolate.

Though, really, Sora's gift would've been a Christmas cake. Christmas Eve in Japan is basically similar to what Valentine's Day is for couples – Christmas Eve is a couples day for love. Yamato would've known straight away that Sora liked him by giving him a Christmas cake on Christmas Eve . . . but I chose to ignore this fact for dramatic purposes. :P

Review? :)


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